Human
by Toadflame
Summary: Everybody has a kryptonite. It's not always green.
1. Superhuman

Superhuman

_Summary: Sometimes, it's easy to forget that they're not actually superhuman because they act like they are. Sometimes, it's far too easy to remember that they are fragile._

* * *

**Written in stream-of-consciousness view, so the format may seem odd.**

**Warnings: death, plots, etc.**

**Notes: ****This takes place in the future, with no Zatanna, no Rocket, no one but the original six having been on the team.**

* * *

Sometimes they forget that he's not invincible, as much as it seems like it.

It's just…until they see him injured, he's beyond superhuman.

And Wally knows that it's not just Roy and him. The entire team saw him as invincible, back when they **had** been a team. Now, they've all gone their separate ways. Wally's taken over the mantle of Flash with a one-way ticket into the League. Aqualad has become Tempest, hero of the seas when Aquaman can't get there. Artemis sort of defected, giving in to the temptations of her father and sister, and became Tigress (she doesn't kill, though, oddly enough). Miss Martian went to Australia. Superboy still lives at the mountain, but Superman had come to his senses a while ago and all but took the clone in. As far as Wally knows, they have Sunday breakfast and lunch with Superman's parents at the Kent farm every week. And Dick, their invincible bird…

Wally knows Dick and Bruce had had a falling out several years ago, and Dick ran off to Blüdhaven, a city with crime and corruption worse than that of Gotham. And Gotham seriously scared Wally.

Wally knows Dick is now Nightwing, the only protector the city of 1,157,899 people had ever known. The city with higher death rates than Gotham. The city Wally's best friend protected day and night, whether they knew it or not.

Yes, Wally knew and still knows Blüdhaven. The fact that he knows so much about the city didn't help to negate his belief that Dick was invincible. That, against all odds, the former Robin was superhuman.

He knows Roy knows how bad the city is; knows that the man who turned down League membership beyond more than simple team-ups still visits Dick in Blüdhaven, and they even fight crime together on occasion. Wally wants to be able to stop in on more than just a cursory _Hi-Dick-bye-Dick_ visit on his way to a League call or to home. He just can't seem to find the time.

Until the League gets a tip from a member of the police force.

Wally knows immediately that it's Dick, but from the faces of his fellow League members (the faces he can see, anyway) they don't recognize the voice within the letter. It's just him, then. Dick must not have made amends with Bruce like Wally thought he had.

The tip, pinned to the side of Mount Justice where Kon would easily find it (Wally knows that Connor prefers to go by the shortened version of both his first name and use the spelling from his Kryptonian name), and he does. Superboy (Wally knows that Superboy still uses it when he goes out to fight crime) immediately goes to Superman, who brings it to the League. It's typed, black font against white paper. Impersonal. Practical. But Wally knows it's Dick; from the way that the letter is written (Dick always had a bit of a humorous streak, even when he was being serious) to the way that some of the letters between words are double-spaced, like he was hesitating in the middle of a sentence. Both are very Dick-like moves, even in writing.

Wally knows the letter reads a little like this:

_League members:_

_It may interest you to know just how corrupt the city of Bl__ü__dhaven is. I currently have information if you are willing to come see it. I will meet you at the High Street Bar and Grill with my information on April 26 at 2 P.M. Send two representatives – one to meet me, the other to keep watch, as I'm sure you will be apt to do if I say to send one only. Do not send more; you will be putting yourselves and me in jeopardy, as well as the civilians around us. I am sure you do not want that. This concerns the Justice League as many of the people of Bl__ü__dhaven I will name have contacts in many other cities and all are currently working on a way to make life very difficult for you and others like you._

_Bl__ü__dhaven's only authentic police officer_

Wally knows he is going to volunteer immediately.

* * *

It is Wally who is sitting in a booth at the High Street Bar and Grill at 1:59 P.M. on April 26. He is facing the door, secure in the knowledge of Hal just outside, ready to back him up if he needs it. The place is dingy, but most of Blüdhaven is. It is also filled with smoke from patrons at the bar, and it barely has time to escape before the door closes once more whenever someone walks in. For a mid-afternoon rendezvous, Wally thinks that this place has a lot of people drinking. He also thinks that there are too many uniformed police officers sharing drinks at the far end of the bar.

He's dressed in a shirt with the Flash's symbol on it, sunglasses covering his eyes like Dick used to do when they had a team. Batman insisted, and even though he's a fully-fledged League member, Wally's not going to argue with the man (it's far too ingrained into him from his years as Barry's sidekick and as Kid Flash, part of the covert ops team of the League).

He glances once more at his watch, waiting for the time to tick over to two o'clock. A minute seemed like forever to him right now, and he's ready to see his friend again. He hadn't been able to even take a run-through for weeks, and the last time he'd talked to Roy, the older hero had sounded slightly worried about Dick.

The watch (a very nice one Wally's testing for Bats – he still has trouble thinking of him as Bruce, and just shortens it to Bats) is a prototype; one of its many features is an alarm, which doesn't do anything loud. Instead, it vibrates against the skin of the wearer. Unobtrusive, but effective. Wally, if he were to describe it accurately, would have to say he loves it. Especially when, just as it buzzes, the door opens and a familiar head of black hair walks inside.

Wally sucks in a breath at the sight of his friend. Dick looks the same as ever: short (but he's not really that short anymore), slim, and constantly on alert. Some things, Wally knew, couldn't be trained out, and Bat training is one of them. Dick holds the door open for a fraction of a second longer than strictly necessary, but no one but Wally seems to notice. The former Robin's blue eyes sweep the bar before working their way towards the dining area. Wally gives what he hopes is a subtle nod, but he's smiling too much (barely, according to any normal person, but to a hero, anything more than a scowl is too much smile) to really be effectively subtle. Dick's wearing his police uniform: blue shirt, dark pants, nice shoes that seem very out-of-place in the dank, oppressive-feeling city of Blüdhaven. He has a pair of sunglasses in one hand, absent-mindedly fiddling with them as he makes his way across the room.

Dick slides into the booth across from him, blue eyes easily picking out details around Wally while still looking right at him. "What are you doing here?" he asks quietly, sliding sunglasses into the pocket of his uniform. Wally follows the motion with his own hidden eyes, before looking up at Dick. The younger man has a slight frown on his face, that Wally can only see because he's been so familiar with Dick's looks in the past.

"I volunteered to come meet with an officer who has, ah, information, for the League," Wally answers, very quietly and even quieter at the end. He knows as well as Dick just how easily someone can listen in on conversations; it's part of the reason the team disbanded so long ago. There hadn't been a mole, just some very resourceful people on the Light's end. But the whole 'Light' issue was settled by the League a few years ago, much to the delight of the former team. At least, the ones he'd talked to. Kal had been relieved that it was done; Kon had been part of the takedown and was more than happy about it; and even Artemis had seemed relieved when he managed to relay a message to her (she might be a villain, Wally reasons, but she is still team).

If anything, Dick frowns harder. Now the scowl was visible. "I would have thought that B would've insisted he come to meet the informant. Is he your backup?"

"Hal is," Wally says, eyes flicking to the bar. The officers are glancing around the building, eyes more often than not landing on them. It's rather disconcerting; Wally knows Dick would have something to say about that, but Wally doesn't say anything out loud. "Hey, you know there's a lot of your fellow boys in blue over there, right?"

"Hadn't noticed," Dick says dryly, quietly. "What're they doing?" Wally looks over at the officers again; they're back to drinking, but their eyes are wary and flick back towards their booth every once in a while. One of them lights up a cigarette; Wally swears he can smell the smoke from across the room.

"Looking around, but mostly over here. It's rather disconcerting." Wally sneaks a peek again; the one with the cigarette seems to make eye contact with him before looking around the room, and Wally shivers slightly. The glance was greasy, sullied by corruption to the point that it was tangible through eye contact.

For once, Dick doesn't make any jokes about disconcerting and concerting. Wally feels like a small hole has been ripped into his chest, about where his heart is. Dick's grown up; his mangling of the English language was just a phase. Somehow, Wally's beginning to wish that it wasn't; that things could go back to how they had been when it was just them and the team, hanging around Mount Justice playing video games, eating pizza, and twisting words to fit their idea of the world.

"Tell me if they do more than look," Dick says lowly. "This isn't one of my normal hangouts, and the ones over there are probably aware that I'm on duty. Not that it should matter; I know for a fact all of **them** are on duty. But I scoped this place out for two weeks before I got the note to the League, and this isn't their normal pattern. And no one should know what I was doing." He sighs, and Wally sets a hand on the table, as close as he can get to a comforting gesture. Dick seems to appreciate it anyway.

"What did you mean, that you had information that the corruption could be proved? And that it would make life difficult for the League?" Wally has a whole list of questions composed by Batman, as if he couldn't ask questions on his own. But the man insisted, and Wally has to admit that they're all good questions. He couldn't have come up with better (he didn't think he could've come up with ones in their ballpark, to be honest).

"I have all the information in a secure location," Dick said instead. "The corruption runs deep; the mayor, the chief, most if not all of the department, the city council, anyone in a high enough position is either in on it or getting their pockets lined to not go against it. It's all been triple-checked, more than enough information to put people away." The volume within the building is fairly high, but Dick is still speaking in a low tone that Wally has to strain to hear without leaning forward. "It's not just the League – it's anyone who fights crime save the police. Blüdhaven, Gotham, and a bunch of the other darker cities are pushing for legislation that will put away any vigilantes messing with anything that isn't a meta. They want their police forces to handle it; problem is, the police aren't doing anything to try and curb it. They complain of no funding and that they can't do their jobs without money, but when people like Batman and Nightwing try to step in and help, they complain that the vigilantes are killing the crime they should be doing. It's a never-ending cycle."

Wally is listening quietly, intently, and he doesn't notice the officers leave until the door opens. He opens his mouth to tell Dick, but the black-haired man shakes his head imperceptibly. Wally glances out the window to see them walk across the street to a squad car. He wishes he could alert Hal to put a tracker on the squad, but he left his communicator with the man, certain that he wouldn't need it. This is why he was glad he had Hal for backup; the Lantern would easily accept it when Wally said it would be fine. Maybe it's a little lax on the other's part, but hey. Wally had known exactly what he was getting into, and the Flash was capable of getting himself out of trouble if anything went wrong. But at the same time, he wished Hal was a bit more alert and insistent on some things. Like taking a communicator with to an informant meeting.

"Listen, Wally, we don't have much time," Dick says urgently, leaning in close. Wally leans in close as well. "All the information is with Roy; he came to see me yesterday after I called him. I don't think there's much left for me here. Something tells me the big wigs are on me, and either I'll disappear, or I'll have an accident. Won't be too much trouble, most cops get shot at least once every couple years or so. And if it's fatal, well, it's just too bad the doctors didn't get the wound in time. I'm not invincible, Wally. Those guys at the bar during shift, when I so happen to be talking to a Leaguer, proves it. Even if they don't know who you are, they know I'm a straight cop. They'll assume the worst. I'm headed out tonight for Gotham. At least the police there are somewhat all right, and most people will assume I'm visiting Bruce."

Wally has a growing feeling of horror. Something must show on his face, because a little of the old Dick peeks out from the cop. "Don't worry," he says, quirking an eyebrow. He stands, pulling sunglasses from his shirt pocket. "I'll be careful." _Because that's all I can promise_ is left unsaid.

And Wally fully believes that Dick will get out all right.

* * *

Wally knows that Roy has the information and will willingly hand it over to him, rather than Bruce or even Dinah, who Roy's always gotten on well with.

He also knows that Dick will do his absolute best to be careful, and he just needs to believe in his friend. Wally ponders on the matter while he retrieves the dossier from the older redhead. Roy is holding little Lian in his arms, gently swaying back and forth almost on autopilot with the little girl fast asleep against his shoulder.

Wally knows that Lian is Roy's pride and joy. He knows that Roy will have read the report, knows that he would have looked over the evidence. He knows Roy will do whatever he has to so he won't leave Lian alone. Wally knows just how much the girl means to his friend, and Wally hopes they'll all be successful and the legislation will fall through. Star City wasn't a dark city like Gotham or Blüdhaven, but it was dark enough, and, by the look on Roy's face, some of Star's major players are in on the conspiracy.

Wally knows that something has happened as soon as he zeta-beams up to the Watchtower. Hal looks nervous, Bats looks grimmer than usual, and even Ollie's registered that something's going on (Wally knows that the blond from Star is a bit of an airhead, as good an archer as he is).

Wally knows he is not going to like what he is told next.

* * *

The air is cold, and Wally shivers as much as he holds still. Roy stands next to him, Lian in her little dress clinging tightly to his hand. Her other hand is fisted in Wally's pants, and she's quiet, as if she knows exactly what is happening. Wally thinks she might; he knows exactly how perceptive children are from his work with the League.

The sky is appropriately cloudy. Wally feels like the day does: heavy, moody, and lethargic. Roy's face is unreadable, even to the remaining person who has known him since he had been a teenagery mess of a hero who called himself Speedy.

Wally gives a sigh through his nose. He can't even work himself up to the general indignation he normally feels when thinking of the name Speedy. All he can do is stare at the smooth granite in front of him, shivering in the cool Gotham breeze.

* * *

_Richard John 'Dick' Grayson_

_March 21, 1997 – April 26, 2023_

_Beloved Son and Brother_

_Born to Fly, Forever Free_


	2. Only Human

Only Human

_Summary: Everyone knows it's okay to be human, except superheroes and supervillains. They forget that most of them are just as susceptible to human fallacies. Sequel to Superhuman._

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**Sequel to _Superhuman_. You must read that one first.**

**Warnings: death, violence, questionable morals, plots, language, slightly crazy and stalker-ish Wally, alcohol use, etc. Tense changes as necessary (see note below explaining) **

**Notes: Originally, I wasn't planning to continue this story, but this popped into my head, and rather than post it as a new story, this is going to become a project on the humanity aspect of the heroes, the part we don't see much of. The grief, the injuries. Not all will be related, but some will.**

**Also takes place in the future, beginning about a month after _Superhuman_ ends. This one has time and date stamps, as well as locations, because there are many, many scene changes and date advancements. I hope this helps understanding of what is happening. As a reference, I would like to say that this spans from May 4, 2023, to December 25, 2023. It is about 235 days, unless my math is incorrect and horribly off rather than a day or two off.**

**I noticed this halfway through, but I realized that for some sections, it needs to be in present tense, and the other sections just don't work unless they're in past tense. So, just be aware that that does happen. I apologize if that annoys you.**

**Anything in another language is NOT guaranteed to be accurate. My apologies if it isn't.**

**If there is no time/date/location stamp, it is prose to help the story along. All actual "scenes" are marked with the time/date/location stamp.**

* * *

_Human (n): a human being, esp. a person as distinguished from an animal or (in science fiction) an alien._

* * *

Keystone City wasn't like Gotham or Blüdhaven. Keystone was like a free-spirit hippie, bright and open and, well, _fun_. Her heroes ran during the day, literally. Wally and Bart had an easy time with the Keystone Rogues gallery, formerly the Central Rogues, simply because they all respected each other. Hell, Wally had practically grown up with Piper, Cold, and some of the rest of them. They all knew not to hurt whoever was Kid Flash, and, when the need was great enough, they even swapped sides for a while. They respected their heroes, and their heroes respected them. Keystone didn't need a hero all the time, and Wally felt safe letting Flash be used elsewhere. Commissioner Vaughn was a bit of a menace, but every city had them.

On the other hand, cities like Blüdhaven and Gotham, had a lot of menaces and needed full-time heroes. Batman, of course, had always had Robin, and when he didn't, he always found a way to make sure someone was there to back up the police on their nightly rounds. Dick had taken the Haven when he and Bruce had fallen out, leaving Gotham floundering without the little bird to keep an eye on things.

Blüdhaven, though, she was something different. Dark, sultry, dangerous...she was any hero's femme fatale, had she truly existed as a person. Blüdhaven was the one city that needed a hero the most, between the corruption of the police force, the metas that had taken refuge in the city from everywhere in the country, and the miscellaneous criminals that plagued the streets like any other city. Because Dick had never joined the League, he didn't need to find a replacement for himself when he was called out, which was best for Blüdhaven and her problems. One didn't get by without a daily murder in Blüdhaven. Wally knew this.

And he'd let his friend patrol it alone.

Wally wasn't going to make that mistake again.

* * *

**|_Gotham City  
_****|_4 May 2023, 4:30 P.M._**

Wally swallowed nervously as he shifted from foot to foot. He'd talked to Dick a million times before; this was no different.

"Hey, D," he began after several moments of silence. "It's...it's Wally. Look, I know that we - that we had our problems after we'd all split from each other. I get that. But, well..."

He took a breath, releasing it slowly in the Gotham smog.

"I feel like I have to do this. I owe it to you. I just want to let you know...let you know that you might be seeing me soon. I've tried to keep Roy out of it, telling him that it's being covered. And it will be. I just need to keep him stalled.

"I'll try to clean up your city, D. That's a promise."

* * *

**|_Star City  
_****|_16 May 2023, 8:26 P.M._**

"Hey, Roy?"

Roy grunted from the other room. "Come on, baby girl, time to go to bed."

"No."

"Not talking to you, West," Roy yelled. "Lian, no, bed!"

A half-naked Lian Harper giggled as she ran from the room. She was clad in bright pink pajamas, thankfully. She'd tried to run naked earlier. She crashed into Wally's knee, and he picked her up.

"Uncle Wally, Uncle Wally! Save me!" she gasped, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder. "The mean Daddy dragon is comin' to get me!"

"Oh, I'm doing something all right," Roy mock-growled, grabbing Lian around the waist. "And I think it's putting little girls to bed in my cave! Rawr!"

"Dude, that sounded so dirty-"

"Don't you go corrupting my baby girl, West," Roy threatened, hooking his other arm around Wally's neck. "I'm still older and stronger than you. I can still wrestle you into the ground."

"Uncle Wally's in trouble!" Lian sing-songed, giggling.

"You bet he is, princess. And Daddy's going to show him why when you're in bed."

"But I'm not-" Here, she gave a huge yawn. Wally was sure he could see her tonsils- "Sleepy."

"Oh, no? What was that?"

"I'unno," she slurred, mostly asleep on Roy's shoulder.

"I'll deal with you later," he whispered, pinning Wally to his seat with a glare. He carried the small girl into the bedroom and was out a couple minutes later.

Roy took one glance at him. "You need alcohol for this conversation," he deduced, pulling two cans from the refrigerator. He sat in the other armchair, handing a can to Wally and easily popping the top on his own with a hand.

Wally wrinkled his nose when he looked at the label. "Dude, seriously, Pabst? That's like, old man beer."

"It's cheap, and Lian doesn't like things from cans. Bottles either, for that matter."

"Yet."

"I'm hoping that comes with the whole boys thing."

"So…never?"

"Exactly."

Silence permeated the room. Roy sighed.

"All right, Wally, spill. You've been way too quiet."

"What makes you think-"

"Wally." Roy leveled a glare at him. Wally nearly flinched at how similar to Batman's it was. "You ignore me for three weeks after Dick dies, and then suddenly show up at my apartment when I'm putting Lian to bed wanting to talk. You do the math. Aren't you supposed to be some sort of math whiz anyway?"

"Science and you know it." Wally let the silence settle for a moment before he said, "Do you think Dick was doing the right thing? Or was it all for nothing?"

"Oh, God, not a philosophical conversation." Roy rolled his eyes skyward, then looked at Wally. "In which way are you asking, not to encourage you or anything."

"Any. All. I don't know." Wally crumpled the can and set it on the coffee table before leaning forward to rest his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. "I'm so confused," he moaned.

"You are, but that's not the point." Roy sipped his Pabst for a moment before he answered. "Look, Wally, I'm not the guy who should be answering this," he began. "But D's not here to do it himself, so I'll try. Blüdhaven…it's not a nice city, believe me. With the rest of us 'non-Leaguers,' he was a bit of a martyr. Okay, a **lot** of a martyr. I mean, I patrol with Ollie when he's around some, and you and Bart go running around Keystone after everyone moved there when Barry died." Roy ignored Wally's flinch at the mention of his former mentor and uncle. "But neither one of those cities is very…do you know what I mean? How it seems like our cities have something some of the rest don't have?"

"I do," Wally said. In all his runs, he had never felt anything worse than Gotham and Blüdhaven. "It's like there's no…no hope, almost, but that's not it."

"Exactly," Roy said. "Cities like Gotham, Blüdhaven, even Star to an extent, have an air around them that makes them feel like they're missing that one vital piece. That piece is hope, or something like it. Whatever's missing, it's affected the entire city, and crime rates skyrocket.

"In Gotham, that piece was sorta put back when Batman took over vigilantism. Even more when D took up the role of Robin. Jason kept it going when D left, Tim after Jason died. Gotham had that spark put back, that things might get better with a guy running around in spandex chasing criminals, because they wouldn't do it themselves."

Roy paused to take another drink, finishing his can. He crushed it and set it next to Wally's can. "Blüdhaven, though, that's a whole other story. See, with the police force that's there, there's no hope left in the city because they've siphoned it off, whether they know it or not. Some of them know it, that's why the hope's gone. People act like others. Dick created Nightwing, his pet project, and took over the Haven when no other hero would venture there. He figured he'd try to put that spark back into Blüdhaven. But it didn't work, and do you know why? Because that hope was too far gone. There was nothing left for that city to add to, and Richard Grayson fought a losing battle day and night. He didn't give up. But later, around January or so, he came over just like you did. And he asked this same damn question. I told him I didn't have an answer because I hadn't experienced the Haven like he had. I still don't have an answer. But I have a guess."

Roy stood and walked to the kitchen, grabbing a couple more beer cans. He came back and handed one to Wally, popping the top on his own and taking a long draught.

"What's your guess?" Wally asked, pushing a finger under the tab. The hiss of releasing carbon dioxide echoed loudly in the apartment.

"My guess is that it depends on how you look at it. If you look at it in the way of 'Was it working?' My answer is no. D was fighting an uphill, losing battle in the rain with socks on mud. There was no dent, no change. The atmosphere of the city reflects that. But if you look at it with the question of 'Is this the right thing?' There's no way that answer can be no."

* * *

And so Wally took up the mantle of Nightwing. He bought black hair dye, to try to make his hair darker. He'd really only succeeded in turning it into a burnished copper instead of a bright copper, but that was all right for him. He wouldn't be doing too much where anyone would be seeing his hair.

He'd also managed to dig out all the stuff Dick had used to give him a little bat-training. In their younger days, they'd decided it would be best to have an idea of all three of their fighting styles, and so they'd each taken a day to help train each other. Wally remembered that he'd had a hard time controlling his impulse to run, but thought that he could do it now. He spent a week practicing, trying to remember all the lessons his friend had given him, so he would be able to use the real thing at game time.

The final piece of the puzzle was the Nightwing suit.

* * *

**|_Blüdhaven  
_****|_25 May 2023, Time Unknown_**

Wally laced up the boots, feeling the insides flex against his foot. Dick's boots had been too small, so he'd gone to an army surplus store to find the right size in the right color. Style didn't matter much; no one looked at a hero's boots if they could help it, except for another hero. And they only looked to compare wear and tear, to see the story that was told on the boots of the hero next to them.

Compulsively, Wally glanced at the old boots in the corner. He swore he could see invisible grime coating the boots, telling a story that Wally couldn't even try to put into words.

He stood and flexed his fingers. The Nightwing suit wasn't a tight fit, especially in the shoulders, but it wasn't too loose. Wally knew Dick had grown, and they'd been around the same height when everything was said and done.

Wally walked to the bathroom and took in the sight before him. His hair hung down the sides of his face, nearly falling into his eyes. The black suit didn't seem to hang too much, which was much better than he could ask for. The blue bird emblem blazed across his chest stood out against the deep color of the spandex.

With a little gel, he spiked his hair up so it wouldn't get in his way during the night. The copper spikes still flopped, but not as badly. With a determined nod, Wally applied spirit gum to the domino mask and gently set it on his face. He looked up, his face now unrecognizable to him without a cowl. He gave a shark-like grin to his reflection.

He was ready.

* * *

Blüdhaven Daily Times  
May 26, 2023

**_Nightwing's Back!_**  
_By Josine Michaels_

_In a shocking twist this morning, the city of Blüdhaven discovered that Nightwing is indeed back! It has been a month to the day since the death of police officer Richard Grayson, heir to the Wayne family fortune, and the disappearance of Blüdhaven's own superhero. Conspiracy theorists believed Grayson to be Nightwing, which would account for the disappearance of the hero, but his reappearance seems to negate this._

_It would also seem that Nightwing was busy last night. Police chief Delmore Redhorn has yet to make his statement, but it is estimated that Nightwing foiled several robberies, a mugging, and caught the man responsible for a late-night murder this reporter heard about as she made her way into work this morning._

_Redhorn is scheduled to make a public press conference at 9:00 this morning outside the police station._

_There are many questions we should be asking, but there is one question we must all consider: Is Nightwing back for good?_

_Page 2: The history of Nightwing as we know it._  
_Page 3: A look at the article from a month ago on Richard Grayson's death and a copy of the obituary._  
_Page 4: A compilation of previous statements made by Chief Redhorn on the subject of Nightwing._  
_Page 10: Noted theorist James Urquhart shares his ideas on the reappearance of Nightwing._

* * *

**|_Blüdhaven_****_ Police Department  
_****|_26 May 2023, 9:00 A.M._**

"At this time, ladies and gentlemen, we cannot confirm that Nightwing is or is not back. What we can offer you are the facts. Last night, the robberies of three convenience stores, the downtown jewelers, and the Museum of Modern Art were stopped while in progress, and those responsible were left out on the light posts outside each respective building.

"We also know that the mugging of a man, who wishes to remain unknown, was stopped. In that case, the mugger was left beaten and tied to the light post outside the alley of the crime.

"We can confirm the existence of a murder in the early hours of this morning. The victim was not found alive, but the man we believe is responsible was found four blocks down the street. The man was taken to the hospital for treatment of internal injuries, a broken leg, and a broken collarbone. He will await trial there while under a heavy police guard.

"In all cases, those involved swear that the man responsible for catching the criminals was Nightwing. We will not confirm or deny their claims, and remain impartial as to whether or not the man who calls himself Nightwing is indeed back. Thank you.

"We will not take any questions this morning."

* * *

**|_Location Unknown  
_****|_Date and Time Unknown_**

"I thought you said getting rid of Grayson would get rid of our Nightwing problem?" Meaty hands slammed to the table, rattling it and the glasses on top of it. The voice was gruff and deepened in anger.

"Relax, Torque." A feminine hand was laid across the man's left hand. "Arnot simply miscalculated, right?"

A third voice, assumed to be Arnot, joined in. This one was surly, though it was unknown if it was simply a bad temper or if it had a touch of distaste for his companions or not. "Of course, Hella," Arnot smoothly replied. "Don't worry, though, I have a plan in mind for our Nightwing imposter."

* * *

**|_Blüdhaven  
_****|_26 May 2023, Time Unknown_**

Wally closed the paper, grinning in satisfaction. He stood, looking around the small apartment he had rented in Blüdhaven. A few newspaper articles took up space on the bulletin board. One was Dick's obituary; another was the article on the death of one of Blüdhaven's police officers. He picked up a pair of scissors, cutting out the front-page article about Nightwing's reappearance, and tacked it to the board.

"You're back, Dickie-bird," he whispered, feeling immensely satisfied at his work. "Your legacy lives on."

Absently, he rubbed his knuckles. Despite gloves, his hands were sore and bruised from throwing punches the night before.

Wally smiled one last time before running home to sleep.

* * *

**|_Keystone City, West Home  
_****|_26 May 2023, 8:52 P.M._**

"Dick's suit is missing," Roy announced, dropping in through Wally's window. He nearly had a heart attack as the fully-dressed hero fit through his admittedly small window.

"Dude! Don't scare me like that," Wally said, glaring at the older redhead. "Bart!" he yelled out the door, keeping a wary eye on Roy like he'd jump on him as soon as his back turned. "Bedtime!"

"Eight more minutes!"

"Damn kid," Wally muttered affectionately. "Not if you want a story!" he yelled back.

A blur zipped by, headed straight for the room down the hall.

"So that's how it's done," Roy said. Wally grinned.

"What was that about Dick's suit?" Wally asked, walking out of the room to the kitchen. Roy followed, jumping up to sit on the island counter. Wally grabbed a Coors beer, offering it to Roy, who shook his head with a wrinkled expression on his face. Wally closed the fridge, leaning against it as he opened the top.

"Someone stole Dick's suit. Right out of the Batcave." Wally furrowed his brow as if in confusion as he took a pull from the bottle of alcohol to hide his grin. So old Bats hadn't been able to track his movements. That would be an interesting experiment.

"Did Batman say who he thought did it?" he asked instead.

Roy shook his head. "Whoever it was either had access or is a fucking good thief, because nothing was tripped. The cameras were all disabled before they even got a look at the guy."

"Hmm. Could it be that Red X guy, the one who stole D's suit from when he was undercover?"

"No, B checked. X is still operating in Jump and was accountable, as much as possible, when the theft happened." Roy ran a hand through his hair in frustration, the emotion evident even with the mask. "We're stumped."

"What about superspeed?"

"Bats has motion sensors. They go off if a certain speed is passed, and the thief was well below that."

"Who'd want to steal D's suit, though?" Wally mused.

"I don't know, but word on the underground is that whoever stole it is also doing D's old job. Nightwing's back in Blüdhaven, and whoever he is, he's good."

* * *

Blüdhaven Daily Times  
July 31, 2023

**_Nightwing Back For Good? Chief Redhorn Doesn't Think So!_**  
_By Josine Michaels_

_In this follow-up article to one from two months ago, it would seem that Blüdhaven's own superhero, Nightwing, is now back for good! It has been two months with daily, or should I say, nightly sightings of our boy in black and blue._

_Nightwing's crime fighting has helped the city put away metas that have been running rampant, but that's not all. The mystery man has also been catching anyone who breaks the law. At what cost, though? In the past two months, after foiling a known 250 crimes, nearly 150 criminals have ended up in the hospital. Here are the statistics as we know them:_

_Total known criminals: 325_

_Meta criminals: 178_

_Metas put in the hospital for various injuries: 0_

_Metas who died of injuries: 0_

_Human criminals: 147_

_Humans put into the hospital for various injuries: 140_

_Humans with broken bones: 147_

_Humans with internal bleeding: 126_

_Humans with injuries that could be treated: 120_

_Humans who died in the hospital: 20_

_Humans who died of their injuries on the street waiting for police to arrive on-scene: 7_

_Is Nightwing's reappearance a blessing or a curse? Police chief Delmore Redhorn says, "Nightwing has been confirmed to be back, but we at the police department do not believe he is doing it from the good of his heart. Previously, Nightwing simply caught criminals, gave them a bruise or two, and left them for us to pick up. Now, however, Nightwing has been putting criminals, who may have done nothing more than try to rob a late-night convenience store for a bag of chips, in the hospital."_

_Redhorn also went on to say this: "Whatever Nightwing did in that month away from our city, it changed him. We do not know if the meta injury numbers are down out of pity for their condition, or if the new Nightwing simply has a grudge against humans. Whatever the case, the city can rest assured that the police will find out what is wrong with Nightwing, if anything, and deal with the situation accordingly."_

_Placating words from our chief-of-police, but we all wonder: Will we be next on Nightwing's list if we violate a law?_

* * *

**|_Blüdhaven  
_****|_5 August 2023, 1:42 A.M._**

Nightwing perched himself carefully with the gargoyles on the ledge. Lens-covered eyes scanned the road, and Nightwing nodded to himself. Everything was quiet in the city.

The earpiece buzzed gently in his ear. It was carefully tuned into the police scanner frequency, monitoring for any criminal activity in the city. His Justice League communicator was hidden in the belt around his waist, set to vibrate if anyone called him. Nightwing didn't know if the citizens knew whether or not Nightwing hadn't been a League member, but he wasn't going to take any chances that his secret identity would come out. Flash might be able to get away with it in Keystone, but Nightwing would be massacred if anyone in Blüdhaven knew. The League had barely been able to stop the plan to restrict all meta and vigilante activity.

_"All units, please be advised. There is a robbery in progress at 225 51st Street. Repeat, robbery in progress at 225 51st Street. Requesting a squad to go out immediately. Respond."_

"On my way," Nightwing said to the night, launching a grappling hook across the street to begin his journey.

It only took a few minutes to make it across the city to 51st Street. Nightwing could hear the sirens of the police in the distance, as well as the sirens from the store's security. Glass littered the sidewalk and the store floor, but nothing so much as moved.

Nightwing narrowed his eyes behind the domino mask. Where was the criminal behind this? He instinctively pulled the night vision binoculars from their pouch on his waist, holding them up to the white lenses.

Nothing showed until he trained them over an alley a block down. There, a figure hid in the shadows, chest heaving as though he'd just run a mile without stopping. Or, in his case, a block in terror. His hand clutched an oddly-shaped sack, but Nightwing couldn't make anything out in it. Nonetheless, he grinned. He found the man.

The police sirens were growing closer. They were probably only a few blocks away. Nightwing would have to act fast, especially since the police were after him. He landed silently behind the man, and ripped the sack from his hand.

"Wha- Nightwing!" the man gasped. He turned, trying to run from the hero.

Nightwing tossed the sack further into the alley, pulling the taser from the belt. He let the wires go, and they zapped the man with the initial 50,000 volts. He twitched, then slumped to the ground, jerking as the voltage dropped and continued to course through him.

"Had enough?" Nightwing asked gruffly, retracting the clamps. The man twitched again, latent energy from the taser still pumping through him. He might've nodded, or not, but Nightwing took it to mean that he was done.

He retrieved the bag, using some rope to tie the man to the top of the lamppost. The man dangled, casting a shadow in the light. Nightwing tossed the cords of the bag over the man's neck, shot his grappling hook, and left.

* * *

**|_Location Unknown  
_****|_Date and Time Unknown_**

"I thought you said you had a plan, Arnot! Nightwing's still running free, I don't call that _dealing with the situation_!"

"I am not the only one in this operation, Torque! It'd be nice if you or Hella came up with a plan once in a while!"

"That's your job, if you recall, Arnot," another voice broke in, this one feminine. "Torque is the muscle, and I am the beauty. You insisted you be the only one to plan for us."

"Enough," a fourth voice broke in. This one was firm, used to authority and having it followed. Torque, Arnot, and Hella all fell silent. "I want progress on your plan to rid us of Nightwing once again. We made a mistake, assuming that Grayson and Nightwing were the same man. We will not make that mistake again. Put a bullet through Nightwing; that will stop him. He uses all those gadgets. He doesn't have a superpower. Stop him any way you can. I cannot hold off the press forever, and the civilians are getting restless with worry they will be next if they so much as jaywalk at night. I want progress within a week. After that..."

The voice left off, and footsteps headed towards the door. "And by the way," the voice added, "if someone were to, say, tip off the Justice League that we have a rogue vigilante, what do you think they would do to him?"

The room was silent as the door closed.

* * *

**|_The Watchtower  
_****|_25 August 2023, 3:35 P.M._**

He was only human, but not.

All right, that sounded weird. Wally knew it did. But it was the only way he could think to explain quite what was going on in his mind. He's human, but he's also superhuman. He has an advantage over the vast majority of Earth's population.

But at the same time, he was really only human. He wasn't born with powers; they came artificially, like his uncle before him and Jay Garrick before that. The only speedster who came by his powers naturally was Bart, but he too was still susceptible to human fallacies. They all were only human.

That might be why Wally was now getting dressed-down by Batman.

"You're late," the Bat said by way of greeting when Wally walked into the room, cowl drawn over his face.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Wally asked. He'd overslept a little, and by the time he was ready to zeta beam up, he had been almost half an hour late. "Barry was always late, and you never said anything to him."

"You're not late, though. This is the first time since you partnered with Barry that you've been late."

"Maybe I was busy when I got the call."

"Doing what?"

"That's not the point." Wally glared at Batman, who glared back. Wally held the older man's eyes for a moment, then looked away.

"Look," he said, trying again. "I'm sorry I'm late, but I've been busy lately."

"Too busy to answer your communicator yourself? Bart answered me when I called. He said you were sleeping because you'd been out late. I didn't realize that Keystone was now keeping Gotham time."

"They're not."

"Then what was it?"

"I…" Wally trailed off. His uncle had always been a smooth talker, but Wally hadn't learned that when he'd been Barry's partner. "I can't tell you."

"Can't, or won't?"

Wally had a brief, heart-stopping moment where he believed that yes, Batman knew **exactly** what Wally was doing. Because of the cowl, however, Wally couldn't tell what the man was really thinking. Not that he could've in the first place. Bruce Wayne wore so many masks, no one could truly say they knew exactly what he was thinking. Except Dick, but he no longer counted since he was dead.

"Both."

"I see." Batman was quiet for a moment. "What is it, Wally? This isn't like you."

_Tell me about it_. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't. So this doesn't have anything to do with the man who took over Dick's secret identity?" Wally remained resolutely silent, and Batman sighed. Then, louder, he said, "You could use a break, Flash. Go home, sleep; do whatever it was you were doing before I called. We'll call you if it's anything world-threatening."

_Dismissal. He wasn't a kid anymore._ "Sure. Thanks, Batman." Wally turned on his heel and left, boots thunking dully on the floor.

"Recognized. Flash, 04." A flash of light, and he was gone.

* * *

**|_Keystone City, West Home  
_****|_25 August 2023, 9:47 P.M_**

"Wally?" Bart's sleepy voice asked as Wally opened the front door. Wally turned to see a half-asleep redhead standing in the living room.

"Bart? What are you doing up? It's past your bedtime," Wally said, glancing at his watch. 9:47. It was almost eleven in Blüdhaven, past time that Wally should've been there, but he couldn't help it. He had gotten so tired lately, between daily trips to the East coast and fighting not only Blüdhaven villains, but Keystone and League villains as well.

"I heard you go past." Bart took a couple steps forward, rubbing sleep from his eyes with one hand while the other absently tugged at his pajama top. "Where are you going?"

"I just…have to deal with a couple things," Wally replied evasively. "Bad guys and stuff, you know."

Bart perked up, coming out from his doze. "Really? Let me get my suit on-"

"Bart," Wally interrupted. "I can't take you tonight."

"But why?"

"Because…because it's a League mission," Wally lied, hoping to stall.

"Nuh uh, 'cause then Batman would've called you. And I know the ring from your communicator, and it didn't go off. I **always** wake up when Batman calls."

"Bart…"

"Wally," Bart mimicked. "Why can't you tell me what's really going on, huh?"

"Because…because I can't, Bart," Wally confessed, hoping this would send the boy back to bed. "I need to keep you safe, and the more people who know, even you, the worse it might get for you."

"But-"

"No buts, Bart. Come on, bedtime." Wally steered the boy down the hall to his room, pulling the covers back and waiting for the redhead to clamber in. He did, pouting.

"I don't get-"

"Because I said so," Wally said, pulling the covers over the already nearly sleeping boy. "Good night, Bart."

"'Night, Wally," Bart murmured, closing his eyes.

Wally closed the door quietly, letting out a sigh as he did. "That was close," he murmured, shaking his own coppery hair as he left the house. He carefully locked the door, and looked up at the moon with a smile before running off to Blüdhaven.

* * *

**_Blüdhaven  
_|****_8 September 2023, 12:08 A.M_**

The first time Wally realizes he might have a problem, he is two hours into patrol of Blüdhaven and headed for a police call to a meta destroying part of the downtown.

It's the first sign, he realized as Nightwing swings into the view of the bulky, gray-goop-like monster, that he's going crazy. It's also a little ironic that this is the first sign he noticed.

He's begun to think of himself in the third person.

Not like one would think, though; he doesn't refer to himself as Wally in his head. No, he still thinks his thoughts in first person. It's when he's taken the guise of Nightwing that it happens. He and Nightwing are almost two separate entities, almost. Nightwing automatically back handsprings away from the punch as Wally muses over this. He's Nightwing while on Blüdhaven patrol, but any other time, he's still Wally.

Wally wonders if he ever has this problem when he's Flash.

* * *

**|_Keystone City  
_****|_9 September 2023, 10:00 A.M._**

Wally was still half-asleep when the call came in from Keystone's police commissioner, Vaughn.

_"Flash?"_ Vaughn's voice asked over the phone. He sounded angry.

"Yes?" Wally mumbled, accidentally slurring the word.

_"You need to control those metas, Rogues, whatever they call themselves, better,"_ Vaughn nearly yelled, making Wally wince and hold the phone away from his ear for a moment.

"Who is it this time?" Wally asked, resigned, and he stood. He was clad only in red boxers, gold Flash lightning bolts covering the fabric. He rummaged through the clothing on the floor, searching for the specially made spandex of his suit.

_"It's the Pied Piper."_

"Hartley?" Wally asked, putting the phone against his ear with the shoulder as he held up his suit. "What's he done now?"

The line was silent for a moment, long enough to allow Wally to begin pulling on his suit, before Vaughn said, _"He's amassed a large number of rats and is currently on his way out of town to the Rathaway residence. Why am I not surprised that you're on a first-name basis with a criminal?"_

"That sounds like Hartley," Wally said, shoving an arm through the sleeve as he ignored Vaughn's last comment. "All right, I'll be there as soon as I can. Give me…five minutes."

_"Make it two."_ Vaughn's hard tone softened very slightly. Only slightly. _"We'll meet you at the Rathaway home."_

"Sounds good," Wally said, hitting the button on the phone as he hopped on one foot, trying to get his boot on. He wiggled it on, stomping his foot to get the boot across his heel. He barely remembered to pull the cowl up before he zipped from the house.

"Hartley!" he yelled, skidding to a halt. "What are you doing?"

"The same thing I do every time, Wally. Try to get revenge on my parents!" Piper yelled back, a faint grin on his face as he played a short tune. The rats began to swarm the mansion house, and the sirens, which Wally had gotten adept at hearing over the noise of Blüdhaven, grew closer.

"Who let you watch that?" Wally asked, nearly reaching for a smoke pellet before remembering that he was Flash right now and didn't have the luxury of a utility belt. He zipped around the rats, gathering them in a whirlwind generated from his speed.

"I did," a smooth voice joined in. Wally barely jumped out of the way of a blast of cold, and the rats were frozen in their midair states. The higher ones shattered as they fell to the ground.

"Hey!" Piper yelped. "Cap, I thought we talked about the freezing of my helpers!"

"What can I say? He moved," Captain Cold said, grinning. "So are we going to do this, former Mini-Flash?" he asked, turning his attention to the costumed hero.

"Why not?" Wally asked glibly. "It's not like I have anything better to do or something."

"Ha, you're funny," Piper said sourly. "Well, I'm out. You took away all my playthings, Cap."

"I said sorry," Cold said, firing a blast from his freeze gun.

"No you didn't," Piper and Wally chorused at the same time. Wally zipped in a circle around Cold, speeding up until he was simply a blur. He took a moment of Cold's distraction to lose speed so he wouldn't kill the man when he smashed into him, which he did a moment later.

"Argh, oh no, I'm dying," Cold moaned melodramatically.

"I hope not," Piper said, a grin on his face as he poked Cold with his flute. "Who's gonna sit in jail with me, huh?"

"I think you'd survive."

"Barely."

"Freeze!" one of the newly arrived police officers yelled. He pointed a gun between the two Rogues, looking slightly hysterical. "Don't move!"

"Don't mind him," an older officer said, rolling his eyes as he held out a pair of handcuffs. "He's a rookie, just transferred in from one of the bigger cities out East. You know, the ones where the metas and crazies are actually a problem, and not just comic relief."

"I actually resent being called 'comic relief,'" Piper said snidely, gamely putting his hands behind his back in the classic 'arrest' pose. "I am a serious Rogue. Sometimes."

"Try never," Cold said in an aside to the officer placing the cuffs on his wrist. "I should know; he lives with me when he's not terrorizing his parents."

"You let him watch _Pinky and the Brain_, your opinion counts for nothing," Wally said, leaning against the patrol car.

"So you say, new Flash. So you say," Cold said, grinning at the redhead. "Well, off to jail. How long this time?"

"You didn't actually do any damage; if you get more than a night, call me," Wally said, giving a two-finger salute to the two Rogues. "Saved the day, yada yada, caught the bad guys, stuck around for the police, am I missing anything?"

"I'd say you're free to go, Flash," the lead officer said, tipping his hat to Wally. "Thanks for the help."

"We don't cause that much damage," Piper protested half-heartedly, ducking his head to get into the police car.

"Not usually, anyway," Cold added before the door was shut.

Wally waved as the cars drove away, then zipped back for home.

It didn't occur to him until later that he never thought of himself as Flash and Wally being separate.

* * *

**|_Blüdhaven  
_****|_6 October 2023, 3:24 A.M._**

The second sign that Wally might be in over his head came almost a month after the first one, which is ironic because he noticed it back then as well.

He had gotten used to having a utility belt.

It was gradual, at first. Wally would often have to catch himself from using his superspeed through most of June and part of July, only vaguely remembering where each of the gadgets Dick used was in the belt.

Now, though, Wally had to catch himself from going to an imaginary belt while in Flash's costume, and even his control over his speed was deteriorating the longer he operated in Blüdhaven as Nightwing. He didn't use it as his main tool anymore; before, he would go running every day, even if he didn't need to. Now, he slept if he didn't have to do anything.

Wally couldn't remember how Dick had juggled hero with civilian and still got as much sleep as he did. Wally was going crazy as it was, and he didn't have to work after receiving money from Icicle's will.

Wally had the horrible feeling that something was going to happen, a choice that needed to be made. He just didn't know what it was yet.

* * *

**|_Keystone City, West Home  
_****|_12 October 2023, 4:30 P.M._**

"You look like hell."

Wally turned a glare on his friend. "Gee, thanks, just what everyone wants to hear," he muttered sarcastically, hunched over the toilet bowl. "Do you have anything helpful, Roy, or are you here to laugh at me?"

"Bart called me, told me that you were getting sick and he didn't want to get whatever it was." Roy stepped closer, nose screwed up at the smell. "That's not from a cold or flu."

Wally heaved for a moment before he flushed the toilet. "What makes you say that," he asked, rinsing out his mouth as he applied toothpaste to his brush.

"The fact that there was blood in the puke, suggesting that this isn't a one-time thing. You've been throwing up for days, and probably when shrimp's not in the house or he would've called sooner."

"Maybe I told him not to."

"Since when does he listen to you?"

"Point." Wally began to scrub at his teeth, and Roy took the time to talk.

"Damnit, Wally, you've been pulling away ever since I told you that someone stole Dick's Nightwing suit! I've seen you a handful of times since then, and it's been more like right after Barry died! What is with you? You look like absolute hell. You're throwing up, you've got bags under your eyes, and I bet Bart would be telling me that you're not eating enough for your metabolism. What is it with you?"

"Stress," Wally answered, spitting out the foam from his mouth.

"Bullshit."

Wally sighed. "Look, Roy. It's just…I've been spread a little thing, all right?" _Well, that was true enough._ "Between League missions off-world and on, and Keystone City stuff, and working odd-jobs…I can't eat all the time, even though it's balanced out a bit, and I'm just getting a bug a little harder than normal. I'm fine."

Roy snorted. "No, you're not." He turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Wally to stare after him with foam dripping from his toothbrush.

* * *

**|_The Watchtower  
_****|_12 October 2023, 5:22 P.M._**

"You're late. Again."

Wally turned to glare at Batman. His cowl was down, and the dark coppery hair was falling into his eyes. "Second time."

"No one answered your communicator this time." _That was left in Nightwing's suit. Shit._ Batman stepped closer. "What is with you, West? Your reactions, your work, it's all deteriorated. What. Happened?"

_I took over work in Blüdhaven._ "I don't see how it's any of your business, Batman. I still do my job-"

"Your so-called **job** has been shit lately, West. You used to be able to bring in the criminals with ease. Now, it seems like you need a whole League squadron to back you up because you barely know how to use your own powers anymore! It's affecting you, the League, and every citizen down there when you don't stop those things as quickly as possible. They're counting on us to keep them safe. You . Are not. Doing. Your. Job."

Wally flinched and turned away, avoiding Batman's accusing glare. "I don't see how this is your business. Enlighten me."

"Everything you do out there, whether it's in your own city in costume or not, solo for the League, or in collaboration with other League members, reflects on the League and myself as one of its founders. If we don't have a cohesive unit that can work on its own and together, we don't have anything. So get your ass in gear and sort out your problem, or I will revoke your League membership, Flash a founding member or not."

"I don't know where you're getting your information," Wally snarled, whirling on Batman. "Obviously, it's faulty, though. I don't **have** a problem. There has never been a problem. Whoever gave you that idea, it's secondhand information passed through a game of Telephone." In an undertone, he muttered, "Not that you'd know what that is anyway."

Batman's tone was not amused. "Sort it out, West. This is the last time I'll warn you. Next time I have to talk to you, it'll be your communicator with barred access to anything League-related."

* * *

**|_Blüdhaven  
_****|_5 November 2023, 12:42 A.M._**

Nightwing swooped across the street, landing silently on the rooftop across the street from the bank he was monitoring. There wasn't even a crunch from the snow on the roof. He'd received a tip that someone would be robbing the bank, and while he didn't know how reliable the messenger was, he had nowhere else to be.

He crouched at the edge of the roof, leaving tracks in his wake and pulling the night vision binoculars from the pouch. He trained them on the bank, listening and waiting. Wally had learned the value of patience from months as Nightwing.

It was only a couple minutes later that Nightwing heard something. It was faint, barely a thump, but there was a noise, and the street shook a little. Nightwing smiled.

"Gotcha."

It was simple enough to get into the building undetected. The explosion hole in the side of the building made it easy to find an alternate way in, and Nightwing simply followed the trail of debris.

He quietly pulled out the brass knuckles, something he'd invested in after the bruises on his fists made it hard to throw a punch.

"Looking for something?" he asked, startling the man who was placing putty explosives on the door of the vault.

"Nightwing!" the man hissed, a slight French accent audible in his voice. "I shouldn't be surprised, should I?"

"Nope," Nightwing responded, smirking. "Wherever crime happens, Nightwing follows."

Frenchie, as Nightwing privately dubbed him, matched his smirk and pulled a gun from his pocket. "So I have heard," he purred. "Shall we take this outside like gentlemen?"

"Nah," Nightwing said, launching himself into an attack. "I'm good here."

Nightwing used his momentum to slam his right fist into Frenchie's stomach, knocking the breath from him. The gun went off, sparking in the dark. Nightwing heard the bullet ricochet off the steel walls, and he ducked down to sweep Frenchie's feet from him as the bullet came back around. It bounced off another wall and embedded itself in the floor next to Nightwing's boot.

"Now, come on, Frenchie, that was my favorite – and only – pair of boots," Nightwing remarked glibly.

Frenchie smirked. "Glad to be of assistance," he assured, cocking the gun from his prone position on the floor.

Nightwing back flipped out of the way, relying on agility to evade the bullets Frenchie shot at him. With one last flip, Nightwing was out of the bank with Frenchie following behind.

"I would go back and finish, _mon ami_, but you would simply try to stop me again, so I will take care of you first!" Frenchie said, aiming the gun once more.

Nightwing ducked out of the way of the bullet, darting out into the street.

"Come on, is that the best you can do?" he taunted, letting loose a birdarang that knocked the gun from Frenchie's hand.

Frenchie, instead of answering, launched himself at Nightwing. Surprised, Nightwing didn't dodge, and responded as Frenchie's tactics changed to hand-to-hand.

"Brass knuckles, _mon ami_? That is cheating," Frenchie tsked, drawing his own brass knuckles out. "Now, it is fair.

Nightwing and Frenchie traded blows, drawing farther down the street. Frenchie landed a right cross across Nightwing's cheek, breaking open the skin and smashing his nose to the side. Nightwing rubbed a hand across his face, wincing as it brushed his cheek. Definitely broken. Blood dripped down his face, landing in the snow and staining it pink.

"Time to end this, I think," Frenchie smirked. Nightwing didn't gulp, but it was close.

_Blam._

_Blam, Blam._

* * *

Blüdhaven Daily Times  
November 5, 2023

**_Late-Night Bank Robber Shot Before Police Arrive! Nightwing to Blame?_**

_By Josine Michaels_

_In a shocking twist in the continuation of 'Nightwing Watch,' we discovered from police spokesman Dudley Soames that a man who robbed a bank at about 1 A.M. this morning was found a block from the bank, shot through the collarbone and bruises across his body. The name and condition of the man is yet unknown._

_Violent crimes on criminals before the police arrive have escalated since we gave you the facts in our June 31 issue, and whoever is behind these attacks, whether it is Nightwing or not, currently faces a fine of $50,000 and up to 30 years in jail with no parole._

_Police chief Delmore Redhorn has this to say on the issue: "Currently, it does not matter to the police who is behind these crimes. It is not confirmed that it is Nightwing, although he has been spotted near each scene. Whoever is behind these attacks, deserved or not, will face the penalty for each crime."_

_Citizens are encouraged to call the police with any information they may have pertaining to these crimes. We at the Blüdhaven Daily News will continue to follow the story and keep you, the readers, informed of any updates to the case._

* * *

**|_Central City  
_****|_5 November 2023, 8:22 A.M._**

The third thing Wally notices, as he stumbles from the zeta tube into Central City, is how many injuries he receives as Nightwing. Wally wants nothing more than to curl up into a ball in his room and nurse his injuries, but the League hadn't changed the location of the zeta tube to Keystone, and Wally was starting to feel too dizzy to run.

"Flasher?"

Through bleary eyes, Wally looks up to the voice. He hadn't realized he'd fallen. The blurry face of Captain Cold, released from prison several weeks ago, slowly slides into enough focus that Wally can see.

"Cap'n Cold?" he mutters, or more like slurs, as he slumps to the ground.

It feels like moments later that he wakes up, but the sky has changed from light with threatening snow to dark and actually snowing. Captain Cold walks into the room carrying a tray, and Wally pushes himself to a sitting position, feeling much better than before.

"Don't move, kid," Cold says, and Wally knows he means it, because Cold hasn't called him 'kid' since his, well, Kid Flash days.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Cold asks, setting the tray on Wally's lap. Enticing smells waft up from the bowl, and Wally loads the spoon up immediately. "You zeta beamed in, or whatever you call it, bloody with two bullet wounds, a broken nose, a slashed cheek, and bruises on top of bruises. You haven't been that messed up since you came straight home from a mission with that supposedly covert ops team the Leaguers were trying to run when you were fifteen. What happened, and why did you try to **beam** in while losing more blood than you have at any given time in your body?"

"I think it's a little obvious that I got beaten in a fight, and I didn't feel like running home," Wally says, finishing the bowl of chicken broth. "Thanks for fixing me up and for the food."

"Wally." And Wally knows he's in trouble now, and that Len is talking, not Cold the Rogue. "I see you on a near-weekly basis. You aren't taking care of yourself, and it shows. All those 'easy saves'? Those are because I don't want to risk the idea that we might actually hurt you this time around. You'll always be that little kid tagging along with Barry to me, and to a few of us older Rogues. And right now, you remind me more of that kid than your partner does."

"I appreciate your concern, sir," Wally says quietly. He's staring at a spot just below Len's jaw. "I really do. But I'm a fully-grown adult with odd hours and three hero jobs-"

"Three?"

**Shit**, Wally messed up. He looks up at Len, and the Rogue's eyes are inscrutable. "I mean-"

"I think that's exactly what you mean. Now tell me what you mean when you say three."

"That's a lot of means," Wally says weakly.

"Don't change the subject. Now answer. Flash in Keystone, Flash in the League, and what else, Wally?"

"I don't-"

"The next words out of your mouth better be 'My third hero job is' and fill in the blank at the end, or I'll get that Roy guy out here. And I know **he** knows how to get a hold of the League."

Wally sighs, the breath shuddering as he exhales. "My third hero job is," he recites dutifully, and pauses. Len raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms, and Wally lets out another sigh.

"My third hero job is Nightwing in Blüdhaven," he whispers.

* * *

**|_Keystone City, West Home  
_****|_5 November 2023, 9:22 P.M._**

Len came out of Bart's bedroom. "Kid's still sound asleep," he said, giving Wally a look. Wally hung his head in shame. "Now, tell me what this is all about."

"You have to promise you won't tell anyone who might get word to Roy, the League, or, more importantly, Batman," Wally begged, sitting up earnestly in his seat at the table. "If they found out-"

"Bad things, Flasher, stuff no one wants to talk about. The least of which is probably a revocation of your League membership." Len dug through the fridge until he found couple Coors, pulling the caps off and sliding one in front of Wally. "I ain't telling, kid, that's for damn sure. We Rogues barely get respect from Vaughn with you around, can you imagine how bad it'd be without you?"

"I can only guess," Wally said. He sighed. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. "I guess I'm lucky that speedsters have accelerated healing."

"Big time, Wally. If you didn't, you probably would've bled out before I found you." Len fixed a stern look at Wally. "You're stalling."

"I am," Wally admitted. "I just kept it a secret so long, I don't want to give up my secret. But I know you won't leave it alone until I tell, so…"

Wally spilled. He didn't know what it was about Len, rather than Captain Cold, that made you want to spill your deepest secrets and guts for the man, but Len had a way of getting the story out of anyone. Wally secretly feared what would happen if Len ever decided to switch sides.

He told Len everything, how he stole the suit, how he'd chosen the day Dick had died to bring back Nightwing, the battles, the violence, the apartment, even how he secretly started fearing he was going insane. It was then that he realized the fourth and, probably, creepiest thing: he was hoarding newspaper clipping of Nightwing's exploits in the apartment he was renting.

Wally felt sick, a little like a stalker who had just been caught but, unlike some, had remorse. When he'd finished, Len just looked thoughtful, and Wally blurted, "What can I do? I feel…I feel like some sort of stalker-ish, Ed Gein-like man."

A slow smile spread over Len's face. "Here's what we're going to do, kid…"

* * *

**|_Location Unknown  
_****|_Date and Time Unknown_**

"It's ready."

"Good."

"Have you told the boss?"

Lips smiled in smug satisfaction. "He's given the all-clear. Christmas. Get ready to give Nightwing a…**gift** for all the trouble he's gone to, protecting our city."

* * *

**|_Blüdhaven  
_****|_24 December 2023, 11:59 P.M._**

Nightwing landed lightly in the snow outside the jewelry store. "You know," he remarked, and the figure before him stiffened in shock. "It's possible that this is the latest 'last-minute' Christmas shopping I have ever seen, and the stores are still open." The bell tower across town chimed midnight, and Nightwing grinned. "Looks like it's a little late now for more shopping. Merry Christmas."

The figure jerked around, dropping the crowbar he held tightly in a fist. "Nightwing!" he gasped.

"Not only is he slow on the uptake, he's also surprised to see me," Nightwing mused. "Why are criminals always surprised to see me? I'm never surprised to see criminals."

"You're a damned chatty fella tonight, ain't ya?" the would-be criminal snarled. Nightwing's eyes were drawn to the movement of his hand, and he barely dodged as the crowbar was hurled at his head. It whipped end over end through the air, clattering to the street.

"I love it when people throw things at me," Nightwing said, a smirk on his face. "It makes it so much easier to explain why I had to defend myself by fighting back. I couldn't possibly allow that crowbar to connect with my head, and then let the criminal responsible go free, could I?"

"You could. A crowbar to the head would save us all some trouble tonight," a cultured voice said, breaking into the conversation, and Nightwing turned. The first thing he saw was the silver muzzle of the gun, glinting in the artificial light from the street posts and pointing with deadly accuracy at his head. He followed the arm to find a man with dark brown hair and a cold smile on his face.

"And you are?" Nightwing asked. "Not that I'm complaining because there's new players or anything. It's simply rude to not know someone's name, especially when they are pointing a gun at me instead of the criminal. I mean, I get it if you're his partner or something-"

"Officer Soames was right, you are chatty tonight," the man said, and neither the gun nor the smile wavered. "I am Detective Macklin Arnot. The fellow you tried to 'arrest' is Officer Dudley Soames, and my partner, Detective Kate Riordan, is currently in the window across the street behind me with a sniper rifle aimed at your head. You're stuck, Nightwing. You will be facing justice tonight if we have anything to say about it, for crimes against criminals of Blüdhaven."

"What crimes?"

"Violent ones. The Blüdhaven Daily Times ran the scoop a while back, and we've just been waiting to get a sting on you since then. See, every crime you were confirmed to be involved in, someone has been sent to the hospital injured if he or she was human. If it was a meta, well, no one seemed to be injured! We've caught on to your game, Nightwing. We have an arrest warrant for you. Come quietly, and we might let you keep the mask on."

"See, as much as I'd **love** to comply with that, that's a no-can-do, Detective," Nightwing said. "I made a promise to a friend, and I intend to keep it. I have a city to protect, and protecting her does not involve an arrest."

"So be it." Arnot spoke quietly into a microphone that he pulled from below his uniform shirt. The gun was still aimed at Nightwing, and Arnot took aim and fired.

Nightwing jumped to the side, firing his grappling hook just as two more shots rang out into the silent street. Obviously used to the sound, the nearby residents didn't even turn a light on.

Nightwing pulled himself onto the roof his hook had managed to latch on to. He shook the snow from his hair; the sky had threatened snow for hours, and finally let loose, and Nightwing allowed himself to smile. The snow would cover up any tracks easily, if the amount currently falling was any indication. Nightwing stood for a moment, basking in the early Christmas morning snowfall.

Another gunshot report broke the silence, and Nightwing dove to the snow-covered roof in an attempt to dodge the wild shot. It continued past, and he sighed in relief.

"After him!" Soames' voice shouted. "He's not far; he hasn't moved!"

_That's what you think,_ Nightwing thought, letting a smoke pellet drop to the roof. He pushed himself to his feet and shot off his grappling hook again, this time across the smaller highway that, while midnight, was still busy. It began to retract, pulling him along with it, when a final shot was made.

* * *

**|_The Watchtower  
_****|_25 December 2023, 9:02 A.M._**

"We found Dick's suit," Batman reported as soon as he walked in. "Flash, I understand it was one of your villains who took it?"

"Yes, sir," Wally said with a grin and short salute. "Seems the Captain decided to try and take up hero work. That's why I was so messed up for a while; I was trying to figure out where he kept sneaking off since he usually is in most heists."

_Something like that, anyway,_ Wally thought as the meeting continued. _Len was the one who got me through the grief he was positive I was repressing, and apparently was, and figured out a solution to get me out of trouble._

"It's almost time for our yearly induction," Superman said, bringing Wally back to the conversation. "We're going to start taking names before the final vote. Anybody already have some?"

"Roy," Green Arrow immediately said. "He's taken over Star while I'm gone; he deserves it as much as anybody, and I don't think anybody deserves it more."

"What about Tempest, Kaldur'ahm?" Aquaman suggested. "He and Roy have been heroes as long as the other, and he also takes over while I am away. He deserves it just as much as Roy."

"I'd volunteer Superboy, but I know he doesn't want it," Black Canary said.

As the list of names went on, Wally smiled to himself with the two names he knew deserved a League induction and more.

"As much as I'd like to stay and chat," he said, standing up from his seat and stretching, "I have a funeral to go prepare for."

* * *

**|_Central City  
_****|_27 December 2023, 12:05 P.M._**

Wally stood in the back of the crowd, respectfully keeping his distance as others walked up to the casket. The sun was shining brightly on the snowy ground, and the day was beautiful. It didn't seem quite appropriate for a funeral, but perfect for the man they were burying today.

He waited until everyone else had left, then approached the newly covered grave. He stared at the ornate, granite rock at the grave's head, sadly taking in the words he'd picked out to honor the man who saved his life.

_Leonard 'Len' Snart_

_December 11, 1971 – December 25, 2023_

_The Truest Heroes Shall Be Revealed By Death Himself_

"Hey, Len," he began quietly, a smile on his face. "Just wanted to say…"

**_Fin_**

* * *

**Sources**: These are the ones I took major things from and still have the web addresses for. Anything not found here that relates to the sites, I simply made up for lack of better sources.

Blüdhaven PD: dc. wikia wiki/ Bludhaven_ Police_ Department

Keystone City PD: www. hyperborea flash/ kcpd. Html

Birthdays: www. infiniteearths dcu/ dcucalendar. htm (Len's age in this was a guess; I put him at around 54)


End file.
